Energy (disambiguation page)

I think that theoretical physicists have crossed some kind of line in their use of the word "energy". Defined in language as "the ability to do work," energy takes on a more technical meaning in the context of physics. It is a mathematical construct that summarizes certain properties of an object. Kinetic energy is for the most part observable. Potential energy, to me, is a sort of fudge which completes the "conservation of energy" puzzle. Energy in all its forms provides a very useful way of analyzing and predicting physical phenomena without regarding extraneous details. It's great! Yet it is a mathematical construct. When physicists claim that the Universe, which appears to be made out of shit (remember, "their stuff is shit, and your shit is stuff," and most of the shit in this universe ain't mine), is actually made of energy, they're really saying that the Universe is constructed from mathematical constructs, which in turn are constructed by mathematicians - and this seems to be the basis for some new religion worshipping mathematicians as Creators of the Universe. This of course is bullshit, and I call upon physicists to invent and popularize a new term for this "energy" of which they believe our world is woven.

But I mean to write not about physics, but about energy in the more human sense - roughly, a person's ability to do work, but with all the ideas connoted by the word. To get right to the point, I lack energy. I lack the energy of good rest; the energy of motivation and ambition; the energy of a curious mind; and the energy of social vigor, among others. The difficulty is that these energies are interdependent. For instance, I lack good rest because I never fatigue myself in the pursuit of ambitious goals. I lack social vigor because I'm not motivated to seek excitement. Energy begets energy, I suppose, but if I can't find something else that begets energy then I'm fucked. Coffee doesn't count.

Which brings me to liberals. It's hard to argue against the historical trends toward what we now call liberalism. Why? Young persons tend to be liberals, and young persons tend to have energy. Energy is everything in public policy*. After all, this country exists because a few revolutionaries had a fuckload of energy, and the loyalists here (who outnumbered them) couldn't match it. As long as liberals have more energy than conservatives, liberals will prevail. And just forget us libertarians; nobody has an energetic passion for freedom anymore.

Just to make my position clear, that's bad.

*Hyperbole. I'm sure to contradict it in the future. Please don't hold that against me.